Lee ignores Top Rank deal to focus on Vera fight

ANDY LEE is determined to ignore talk of a major promotional deal with Top Rank and concentrate on making an impression in the ring as he makes his US national television debut tonight.

The unbeaten middleweight from Limerick will be the main event on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights card as he puts his 15-0 (12 KOs) record on the line against former Contenders’ star Brian Vera (15-1, 9 KOs) in a 10-round bout at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

Lee, 23, fights out of Emanuel Steward’s Kronk Gym stable in Detroit and his trainer/manager is moving the rising Irish southpaw into position for a world title challenge within the next 12 months. That ambition will be helped considerably when the final details of a promotional deal with Bob Arum’s Top Rank organisation are ironed out in the next week or so, as Arum also handles current undisputed middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik.